Effective with the 2017-18 season, the maximum number of timeouts per game will decrease from 18 to 14. In addition, during the last three minutes of a game, teams will be limited to two team timeouts each instead of the previous rule that allowed three per team in the last two minutes.

The rule modifications for timeouts are below:

- Each team will have seven timeouts per game, with no restrictions per half.

- All team timeouts will be 75 seconds. In the previous format, “full” timeouts were 90 seconds and “20-second” timeouts were 60 seconds. Both “full” and “20-second” timeouts have been replaced by team timeouts.

- All four periods will have two mandatory timeouts, which will take place after the first stoppage under the seven- and three-minute marks.

- The under-nine-minute mandatory timeouts in the second and fourth periods will be eliminated.

- Each team can enter the fourth period with up to four team timeouts.

- Each team will be limited to two team timeouts after the later of (1) the three-minute mark of the fourth period or (2) the resumption of play after the second mandatory timeout of the fourth period.

- Each team will have two team timeouts per overtime period; previously teams had three.

The NBA also made the following changes regarding game flow:

- Referees will assess a delay-of-game violation if a free throw shooter ventures beyond the three-point line between attempts.

- Halftime will last 15 minutes for all games, beginning immediately upon expiration of the second period. A delay-of-game penalty will be issued if a team is not ready to start play at the expiration of the halftime clock.

In addition, the Board of Governors approved moving the trade deadline from the Thursday after the NBA All-Star Game to the Thursday 10 days before the All-Star Game. With the new placement of the trade deadline, teams will be able to settle their rosters before the All-Star break and avoid the disruptions that result from players joining new teams just as practices and games are beginning to resume following the All-Star break.

Uniform Changes

Lastly, Nike’s eight-year partnership with the NBA is all set to get underway as the Swoosh just officially unveiled their new uniforms for the 2017-18 season.

The lightweight threads are the result of a combination of player’s feedback and years of research throughout the collegiate and professional levels and a design team willing to shake up the League’s time-honored uniform makeup.

Nike began by updating their Aeroswift basketball chassis—the frame of the uniform—to move and react more fluidly with the players.

According to the Swoosh, most players usually make movements in bursts of 1.6 seconds that add up to an average of four miles traveled per game. With that in mind, Nike set out to create a uniform that was responsive, aiding players, rather than prohibiting them.

“The mental advantage of a quality uniform is priceless,” said Kyrie Irving, via press release. “The fact that Nike listened to all of our feedback while developing the new NBA uniforms speaks volumes, I’m excited for the new fit and feel.”

The jerseys are made of Alpha Yarns and recycled polyester—each uniform is created with approximately 20 recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. Nike says the new blended uniforms wick sweat 30 percent faster than current NBA uniforms, which results in fabric that drys 15 percent more quickly than current NBA uniforms.

Nike packed the jerseys with all the technology they could, but they didn’t forget to make them look nice. The Swoosh’s new threads will usher the League into a era that eliminates the traditional “home” and “road” jerseys. For the first time in NBA history, home teams will be able to pick from any of their uniforms and the road team will choose accordingly. In short, those home squads don’t necessarily have to wear white at home anymore.

Each team now has four primary uniforms, which were inspired by each individual team’s heritage. The first two, the “Association” and the “Icon,” are being introduced right now and will be available for teams to start rocking as soon as the season starts.

The Association edition is the home jersey, which is made up of white, while the Icon, is made up of each squad’s main color.

Two more colors will be unveiled during the season, including the “Classic,” a colorway that plays on the team’s pasts.

A full line of Nike NBA performance and lifestyle apparel will also be dropping soon. On-court apparel, such as tights and socks, will be releasing, as the Swoosh will be taking over more than just the uniforms.

It'll be interesting to see how all of this comes to fruition once Oct. 17 hits...